Trap.



c. A. NORMAN.

TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1.19.16.

Patented Dec. I]A 1917?` WITNESSES mmm'f CHARLIE A. NORMAN, or FRANKFORT, SOUTH partera.

TRAP.

Specification of Letters IE'atent.-

Patented Dec. 11, 1917.

Application mea July 7, i916. serial No. 108,033.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLIE A. NORMAN,

` a citizen yof the United States, residing at Frankfort, in thewcounty of Spink and- State of South Dakota, have invented certain new and useful' Improvements in Traps, of which the following is a specification.4 l This invention relates totraps, and more particularly to ltraps for catching' rats, gophers, and similar'a-nimals.. F

One of the main objects of' the invention is to provide a trap offsimple construction and operation which is capable of catching a'large number lof animals at one time. A further object is to provide a trap so constructed as to not exclude the light so that the animals to be caught will readily enter.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a front view of the trap when sprung,

, Fig. 2 'is a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail sectional view.

The casing or frame of the trap is composed of upper and lower plates l and 2 secured together by vertical rods 3. The space between plates 1 and 2 is divided, by longitudinally and transversely` arranged wire partitions 4 into a number, in this case eight, compartments.

Each compartment of the trap is pro' vided, at its outer end, with a vertically slidable door. This door is composed of two parallel rods 5 which are slidable through openings inthe top plate 1. These rods have their lower ends pointed and,` adapted to be seated in suitable recesses in the bottom platew2. A bar 6` is fixedly secured to the rods 5 at a point above their center so as ,to rigidly connect the same.

` Near the lowerfend of the' rods 5 is secured a guide strip 7. This strip has its ends bent to' formgwide" sleeves 7@ 'which are slidable on the rods 3 securing the top and bottom plates together.

Atl the center of each compartmentjand near the front thereof, a trigger lever 8 is pivoted at its upper end in top plate 1. An arm 9 is pivoted at its inner end to lever 4, 8 near the upper end thereof. This arm is positioned in that vertical plane'which is located midway the rods 5. -Arm 9 may be raised by means of a cord 10 secured thereto and passing through theaperim'c in platel. This arm is adapted tol coperate with a resilient hook 11 secured to the.` front edgel of plate 1 in alinement therewith. A leaf spring 12 is positionedat each kside of the lever 8 with its upper end se 60,

cured to plate 1 and its lower end secured to one of the rods 5 in alinement with the bar 6. These springs are positioned; equidistant from the lever 8 so that they exert equal downward pressureon the rods thus insuring true movement of. the same and'pref venting binding of .the rods during their movement through plate 1, or of the guida bar Ton rods 3.

In order to set the trap7 the upper ends 70 of the rods 5 may be grasped and the rods raised against the action ofl spring 12 so as to bring the bar 6 above the inturned end of hook 11. With the bar in. this position',

lever'S is swung outwardly and the arm 9 75 1s raised, by means of cord 10, so as to pass beneath thebar 6 and over top of the hori- 1 .zontal arm or hook 11. With the arm 9 in this position, the rods 5 are released. When the rods are released the arm engages y bar 6 and acts tohold the door in raised' position. The arm is so positioned on lever 8 that, when in operative position, it is 4slightly inclined downwardly and out.

`On the other hand, if the trap operates properly, it will be sprung while the animal is reaching underneath of the rods `5 and attempting to get the bait. In this case,l 1

the springs 12 will drive the rods down, the

-lower pointed ends of the rods piercing the animals body and killing it instantly.

By using wire partitions to divide the trap into compartments, very little light is excluded so that the animal will .readily enter the trap, there not being any darkened compartments to frighten it'.

There may be slight variations made in the construction and arrangement of they different parts of my invention without dei" parting from the Iield and scope of the same, and I intend to includeall'such variations 110 in this application, in which 'a' preferred form only of my invention is shown,

5 through .the top prieto? V between 'saldi' 'ods, mwaxcy d u'eotel hook secured vbo the 'mp plete extendmg.

downwardly nflon o Ehe sdabe rode, @lever mounted in the loop pate, en 5mn lo pivoted at 'its inner eod 5o seid level below the pivoJ point @hereof Wlth amd hook she ozrfof' honed ns to he@ the, si.

and alnemem L o 'being' so pos,

@www

vent aooidental displacement thereof, and

means foi' forcing said sldable rods down- Werdly X11 testimony whereof ai my signature in presence or. awo Witnesses.

'HRLXE A. NGRMAN. Vtnesses z JOHN Beam? Comas/2ML. 

